Grilled Vegetables

Summer time means outdoor grilling. One of my favorite food groups to cook on the grill is vegetables. Outdoor grilling adds a certain taste to the vegetables and allows them to stay crispy, keeping all the nutrients in the vegetable where they belong. Two of the vegetables I like to grill are asparagus and eggplant. Asparagus is a great vegetable on the grill. Brushed with a mixture of lemon juice and olive oil, seasoned with garlic powder and lemon pepper, asparagus is a tasty treat. Asparagus's main claim to fame is that it removes excess ammonia from the body. Too much ammonia leads to fatigue and problems with the reproductive organs. People often comment that when they consume a lot of asparagus, their urine gives off a strong smell. That smell is the excess ammonia. Asparagus is high in vitamin c, carotene and selenium, all powerful antioxidants, which are helpful in repairing damaged cells in the body. Asparagus is also high in folic acid, a vitamin that prevents birth defects in pregnant women. Grilling eggplant is just as helpful to the body's health and taste buds. Eggplant can be cut into little chunks or sliced into thick wedges. Brushing olive oil and fresh garlic onto an eggplant and flipping often is my preferred method of grilling this vegetable. Eggplant's biggest health benefit is that it inhibits the production of cancer causing nitrosamines and has nutrients contained in it that fights the production of tumors. Eggplant is high in minerals like calcium , iron, magnesium, potassium and zinc.

Eggplant also contains copious amounts of phytonutrients. Phytonutrients are tiny particles of nutritious vitamins that play an important part in many functions of the body. A side note on both of these vegetables is that they may aggravate arthritis. Eggplant is a nightshade vegetable. Nightshades tend to aggravate arthritis in people who have severe cases. Asparagus can aggravate gout. .

Thought for the Week: "When the body sends us a message in the form of pain, we must not simply anesthetize our senses to it, but make sense out of it!" ------ Fred Barge, D.C.

Chiropractic Thought for the Week: In 1970, Reggie Gold, Chiropractor, educator and philosopher said that "In order to heal, the body needs no help, just no interference." This statement holds true. Since the nervous system controls the function of every organ and system in the body, If there is interference or disruption of spinal nerve flow, the body cannot function at 100% of it's capability. If the body is not functioning at it's highest level, it cannot heal as natured intended it to.